In the pantheon of pathetic, political pontification, the Pelosi pronouncement "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it" is prominent. It was entirely predictable that a government health care leviathan, cobbled together in the dark of night behind closed doors, would turn out to be an incorrigible Frankenstein monster. Remember all the broken presidential promises? It was supposed to be "cost neutral" at $898 billion. Latest estimates are that it will cost $2.6 TRILLION over the next decade! On top of that, President Obama dictates an unconstitutional delay of the employer mandate that will cost an additional $12 billion next year alone.
Remember how the health care debate was supposed to be covered by CSPAN? It wasn't. Remember how the bill was supposed to be posted online for five days before signing? It wasn't. Remember how your family was supposed to save $2,500 in health insurance premiums? You didn't. In fact, you saw double and sometimes triple digit percentage increases. Wait until the young folks get off their parents' insurance plans and try to purchase coverage on their own. Talk about sticker shock!
Republicans and conservatives have tried to warn you for years. Democrats are late to the party but they have finally arrived. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), one of the authors of the legislation says "I just see a huge train wreck coming down." Then there are the congressional staffers who make between $70-100,000 per year. They had to have a special exemption in order to avoid a "brain drain." Apparently, at their near poverty salaries, they absolutely must have the taxpayer kicking in 75% of their premiums or gasp...be forced into the exchanges!
Proving the "Law of Unintended Consequences," James Hoffa, Teamster union president notes that Obamacare will "destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class." The National Treasury Employees Union, representing IRS workers who will enforce 47 separate aspects of Obamacare, opposes being forced into the health insurance exchanges. Even the IRS chief Danny Werfel has testified that he would rather keep his current policy. Furthermore, the Obamacare call center in California is hiring part-time workers and they won't be provided healthcare!
Over half the general public is opposed to Obamacare. In order to increase its popularity, the Obama administration is about to spend $684 million in advertising costs. "I am greatly disappointed - beyond upset - that the administration chose to help pay for the Affordable Care Act in fiscal year 2013 by raiding the Public Health and Prevention Fund," said Senator Tom Harkin, (D-Iowa). Still, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 30 million Americans will remain uninsured. So exactly what will this law accomplish in the long run other than giving the government more control over one-sixth of the economy? Remember, health insurance does not improve health care. With more and more physicians refusing to accept any more Medicare or Medicaid patients, this law does nothing to promote the access to and availability of medical professionals.
Nothing more dramatically demonstrates the Democrat reversal of field than the recent statement by Dr. Howard Dean, former Democrat presidential contender: "One major problem with Obamacare is the so-called Independent Payment Advisory Board. The IPAB is essentially a health-care rationing body. By setting doctor reimbursement rates for Medicare and determining which procedures and drugs will be covered and at what price, the IPAB will be able to stop certain treatments its members do not favor by simply setting rates to levels where no doctor or hospital will perform them."
Back in 2009, in her famous "death panel" post, Sarah Palin said "The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course." Back then, liberals, leftists, progressives, and Democrats mocked, ridiculed, insulted, cursed and vilified Governor Palin for her comments. Politifact (sic-oxymoron!) labeled her comment "Lie of the Year." So what now, Politifact? Either apologize to Governor Palin for her prescience or take Howard Dean to task for his derivative thinking. Or...you might actually investigate the roles and responsibilities of the 15-member appointed IPAB bureaucrats who might well be determining who lives and who dies in the name of "cost savings." Yes, Virginia, there is a death panel!
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